Revenge
by SirenPash
Summary: The loss of a loved one is difficult... especially when that lost can be held against another. MaleXMale, Cato and another Character, Katniss and Peeta.


Revenge –

Character: 

Name ~ Aquari

Sex ~ Male

Physical Description ~ 5'4", light and skinny - though toned- body, Brown hair styled in a faux hawk, hazel eyes, lightly tanned skin.

District ~ 2 (Masonry and Weapons Manufacturing)

Family ~ Mother is a housewife. Father is a Peace Keeper Trainer. Only child.

Other Information ~ Friends with Cato since birth, they eventually became lovers. He, like Cato, has been trained for the games. He specializes in hand to hand combat, utilizing a unique form of martial arts that attacks the pressure points on the human body. By striking these, he is able to temporarily paralyze his enemy. He also excels using throwing knives, whips, and a bow and arrow.

"Promise!" I didn't allow my glare to falter as Cato broke into one of his breath taking grins.

"We've been training for these Games for years; you don't have faith that I'll come back?"

"I have plenty of faith in your abilities, but we won't really be able to predict an outcome until we have the other variables."

"Aquari, you're being ridicu…"

"PROMISE!" I interjected.

His gaze wandered down my small frame. His 6'2" stature forced me to look up him in order to maintain eye contact.

He sighed heavily before answering.

"Fine."

I removed my hand from its death grip on his wrist and retracted the finger that had been aimed at his shoulder, prepared to strike him if he refused. It was the day of the reaping and while everyone was gathering in the square outside the District Capitol I had pulled Cato aside and commanded that he not volunteer. There was nothing I could do if he volunteered for the games beside hope that the system chose another candidate. But if his name was pulled during the reaping I could count on the countless of other boys who would jump at the chance to represent District 2.

Cato kissed me lightly on the forehead, before taking my hand and leading my back towards the line of tribute candidates.

"I suppose I'll just have to let someone else play this round." He looked down at me as he spoke. "But you're being sort of ridiculous Aquari, I mean; I can beat anyone else here, even when you paralyzed my arms. I doubt any of the other tributes could pose much of a challenge."

"Don't push your luck, Cato." Was the only rebuttal I provided.

We took our spots in the sea of other boys our age and waited as Linda Bouquet waltzed onto the stage to begin the ceremony. After the preliminaries were over the actually reaping began.

In district 2, competing in The Hunger Games is considered a high honor, even if you don't return. So it's common for the candidates to volunteer. The process for volunteering is fairly straightforward. Once a name is called, and once the selected tribute has been introduced the other candidates can begin volunteering. Only the first 10 volunteers are considered, their names are placed in a separate bowl and then the Tribute is chosen from those ten.

I didn't really pay attention when the female tribute was cast; I only gathered that after the volunteer reaping, a girl named Clove was the representing Tribute.

I tightened my grip on Cato's hand as Linda pulled the slip from the boy's bowl. Cato's name wasn't called but I still held tightly as the volunteering began. I counted in my head with each volunteer, 1, 2, 3, and 4. As the fifth volunteer spoke his name I felt a pair of thick arms wrap around my torso, pinning my arms against my side. Cato's hand pulled from my grasp and with the seventh volunteer, Cato placed his name.

The arms around my torso loosened and with the little room of freedom I'd gained, I striked at every pressure point in the restrainer's body I could manage. I was too late though. As the body behind me went limp, Cato took his place on stage and the rest of the volunteers fell into line.

I still had a chance; I prayed that Cato's name wouldn't be drawn.

But it seemed that on that day, the odds were never in my favor

**A YEAR LATER**

It was the day before the reaping and I sat in my room the TV on as background noise. Ever since Cato had passed I had locked myself away. I hadn't left my house, my mother did her best for a while to try and drag me from the shell I had placed myself in, but after a few months she gave up and left me to myself. Once Cato's body had returned in a closed casket due to the mutilation done by the mutations the Capitol had presented Cato's family with his District token, a small golden locket that on one side held a photo of his family, and on the other a picture of me. The Peace keeper hadn't even fished it out of the small velvet bag it was held in before Cato mother instructed that the locket should be given to me. She took it from the Peace keeper pulled the photo of her and her husband out and replaced it with a picture of Cato. When Cato had worn it, he had it on a long chain and tucked it beneath is clothing. I had the chain removed and had it sewn onto velvet ribbon and wore it as a choker.

The TV gave a high pitched siren sound before the Emblem of the Capitol filled the screen and the national anthems began. President Snow took the stands.

"On the Third Quarter Quell, In order to remind the Rebels that even the wealthiest among them cannot escape our power, the tributes will be chosen as the richest of their district."

My father received a substantial amount of money from his company manufacturing weapons, and from his job as a trainer for Peace Keepers. I wasn't exactly sure whether we were the wealthiest, but I knew that come tomorrow's reaping… I would be a candidate as the wealthiest boy in District 2.

I stood in the sea of boys again as Linda Bouquet took the stage. In each of the reaping bowls sat one solitary slip of paper. The bowl that usually sat for volunteer reaping had been removed. No volunteers would be accepted this year. As usual, the female tribute was called first; the girl was no more than 13 and was the daughter of our cities head mining corporation. When Linda pulled the name from the boy's bowl, I stared at the slip of paper, as if from this distance I might be able to read the small print of a name on the sheet.

"Aquari Mediea!"

I had expected that I might be that name, so I had already been prepared for this moment, I walked briskly onto the stage and answered the questions that Linda offered.

With my place in the games set only one thing crossed my mind.

I was going to win. Not for me, not for my district, not even for my family. I was going to win for Cato. Because I knew one thing…. Katniss was the wealthiest girl in District 12 and as long as she was in the game, I wasn't playing for Honor…. I was playing for Revenge.


End file.
